some easy questions....when to use solar blanket, pump...etc

[supercanadian]

OK I've read so much on the site that I think I might have confused myself.

1. Solar Blanket Use
Assume no winds, no other variables. Using a blue 10mm cover and the water temp is 72 and the outside temp is say 80 and sunny. Is it better to take the blanket off to increase the heat transfer to the pool or leave it on when the sun is out? I assume to take it off and only use the blanket when the outside temp is lower than the pool is. Or if it was windy out.

2. Pump Use
When should I use my pump (not concerned about filtering)? Days or nights? Don't care about cost just heat distribution. I would assume it would be better to run it during the day when the outside temp is higher than the pool temperature is to help circulate the water; than at night when the outside temps would be lower than the pool which would cause the water to be stirred up more.

 

[JasonLion]

Re: some easy questions....when to use solar blanket, pump..

1) In most cases it is better to have the cover off when it is sunny and there isn't too much wind. However the difference isn't that large.
2) Again it doesn't make that much difference. Pumping during the day is just slightly better for keeping solar heat.

 

[supercanadian]

Re: some easy questions....when to use solar blanket, pump..

Hey thanks for confirming my thoughts.

This place is amazing.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[joseywales]

Re: some easy questions....when to use solar blanket, pump..

The only thing I can add is that have my pump & filter on a timer, using two On and two Off triggers. I was running it for 4 hours at night. My daytime running is when I think most of the pollen is falling. That way, I hope to catch it before it hits the bottom of the pool. Once the pollen season is over, it's not that big a deal about what time during the day, but I usually leave it the same.

I also run it some times while folks are swimming. Right now, it's running 24/7 to finish clearing my water from my recent opening.

 

[drdjsmm]

Re: some easy questions....when to use solar blanket, pump..

I leave my solar cover on all the time. The water gets nice and warm (when the sun shines - we haven't had a sunny day here in MO for weeks!) and last year I barely had to add any chemicals. When you take the cover off through the day, you have to do a lot more chemical checks and spend more on maintenance. And if the cover is on, nothing gets in the pool. No flying seeds, no bugs, no gravel dust, no dirt.